The original Sailplane directory was developed by Alex Holswilder in 1997 as Alex’s Sailplane Directory. After he finished his training for airline pilot at the flight academy in the early 2000’s, the directory was taking too much of his time and was going to close it Down. Greg Rice, a Director of Activate Media and a long time soaring enthusiast contacted Alex and arranged to take over and update the site.
The Sailplane Directory is now being hosted by basis by Activate Media, a London based new media company, on a non-profit basis and as a service for the gliding community
This is a community site and will only evolve with user participation. We will edit this information into the main pages as time allows. We urge all users with additional information on listed sailplanes to add it directly to the page in which the information relates.
If you would like to help edit the technical information on a regular basis (more than just comments on one sailplane), please email us at information@sailplanedirectory.com.
Currently there are over 400 sailplanes listed in the directory. Sources form this information are as follows:
- Manufactures technical information
- Soaring Magazine- Copyright Soaring Society of America. http://www.ssa.org
- Nurflügel book. By Reimar Horten and Peter F. Selinger. Copyright by Herbert Weishaupt Verlag.
- Segelflugzeuge in Deutschland by Dietmar Geistmar. Copyright Motorbuch Verlag.
- Reader contributions- emails arrive on a daily basis that help to extend the site
We would like to thank the above parties for making the Sailplane Directory a reality.